Improvement in wheel crutches or perambulators



S. A. DARRACH.

' Improvement in Wheel-(Hutches or Perambulators.

Patented Aug. 6,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. DARRAOH, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,283, dated August6, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. DARRAGH, of Orange, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement inWheel Grutches or Perambulators and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in whichdrawing Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus,showing it occupied by a patient. Fig. 4 is a detached sectional view ofone of the wheels.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for aiding locomotionboth ofchildren and adults in cases of weakness of the legs or back, spinaldisorders, paralytic aifections, and other diseases which impede orprevent the natural use of the body for walking. The invention consistsin a strong, light frame, open at one side to admit the patient, andprovided with rollers or wheels to allow the apparatus to be moved withsmall eflort over the floor. The frame is so constructed as to have abroad bearing on the ground or floor, and is ad ustable vertically todifi'erent heights, and its upper part is provided with a yieldingsocket or breast piece, which receives the chest of the patient, hisarms coming over its edge and his hands graspin g'the frame below. Thewheels orrollers are so arranged as to prevent the apparatus fromswaying or moving in a direct lateral line, but permit it to be movedforward or on a curve toward the right or left; I and to this end theside rollers or wheels are placed at the rear ends of the apparatus, andare arranged parallel with each other in rigid bearings.

TheletterAdesignates'amovable frame, com- .posed, in this example, of ahorizontal base bar,

B, by preference made of hollow piping forstrengthandlightness,andbentsothatitisopen at the rear, in whichdirection, also, its sides are expanded, so as to give it greaterbreadth across the rear than across the flout. Under the front part ofthe frame I place casterwheels 0, which enable the apparatus to beturned and moved on any course. The rear part of the frame is supportedupon wheels or rollers D D, which are placed in stationary bearingsarranged parallel with the longitudinal axis of the frame, so that therevolutions of the wheels are always made in the same planes withrespect to said axis. From the bar B rise standards E, three iii numberin this example, consisting of hollow piping for lightness and strength,one of said standards. being arranged at the front and the other in therear at the sides of the apparatus. The standards are bent inward asthey ascend, so that the upper part of the frame shall be narrower thanthe base, thus obtaining for it a broad bearing for greater security tothe patient. The standards E support an adjustable frame, F, composed ofhorizontal curved bars G G, two or more, united to each other, and arranged so as to receive and support the body and chest of the patient,being made open at the rear and of suitable width and depth, accordingto the size required. From the under side of the frame F extend rods H,which pass into the standards E, in which theyare adjusted, and held byset-screws I at any elevation required. The upper bar G of theadjustable frame F is smaller in diameter than the lower bar G, and theymay be united to each other, as ishere shown, by the prolongations ofthe same rods, whose lower ends enter the upper ends of the standards.Within the frame F I place a yielding breast-piece, J, open at the rear,and curved to conform generally to the chest and sides of the humanbody, but wider in front, where it comes opposite to the chest, than atthe sides. The breast-piece is arranged in a vertical position, and issupported at its ends from the rear part of the adjustable frame F onpivots K K, on which the breast-piece can turn; and the front part ofthe breast-piece is hung to the frame F by means of elastic fabric or aspring, L, which allows it to yield to the weight of the patient.

As the apparatus is intended for use in dwellings it is desirable thatit be noiseless, and that the wheels or rollers shall work little injuryto carpets. In order to attain these objects I provide the wheels orrollers with yielding tires S, made of rubber, leather, or otheryielding material, which are let into, or in case of rubber may besprung into, grooves M, made in the rollers.

periphery of the wheels or In order that the hollow base bar shall notbe weakened by connecting the same with the standards, I provide socketsN to receive the lower ends of the standards, the front socket beingformed on a sleeve, 0, which is clamped around the bar, while the rearsockets are formed on the upper sides of the parts P P, which form thebearings of the rear wheels of the apparatus. The parts P P areconnected to the ends of the base bar B by means of threaded horizontalsockets Q formed on their ends, which screw over the threaded ends ofthe bar. The breast-piece J is provided with a stiffening-frame, R, ofsheet metal or other suitable rigid material, and the same is suitablyupholstered to give a soft surface for con- 7 tact with the person ofthe patient.

In using my invention I bring the apparatus up to the patient, who thenplaces himself or is placed in the breast-piece, the arms extendingoutside of and resting on the edges of the breast-piece, so that thehands can grasp the lower bar G, which I upholster to obtain a pleasantsurface. The upper frame F, which contains theyielding breast-piece, isadjusted so as to allow the feet to rest on the floor, and

the patient is then able to propel himself along without danger offalling or of upsetting the apparatus, and can thus safely obtain the exercise required for the healthy development of the limbs without anystrain on the spinal column or other weak parts of the body or limbs.

By this apparatus the body is securely and comfortably supported, whilethe legs have opportunity for free natural motion without beingoverburdened with the weight of the body, and the intermitting strainnecessary in using ordinary crutches is avoided. It thus affords a safeand easy means for moving about, and in many cases gives opportunity forexercise where ordinary crutches could not be used without risk, owingto insufficient power or lack of skill. It is especially useful forchildren when crippled or diseased, and often, by a timely use,'wi1lprevent bow-legs, knock-knees, or otherwise deformed limbs. can also beused with marked benefit in some conditions of spinal disease bypermitting exercise without taxing the back, thus promoting generalhealth and counteracting the tendency to paralysis and contraction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The frame A, supported on parallel wheels or rollers in the rear andcaster-wheels or rollers in the front, combined with a frame, F, forsupporting the human body, substantially as described.

2. The yielding breast-piece J combined with the upper frame F,substantially as described.

3 The parts P P, forming rigid bearings for the rear wheels, andcontaining sockets to receive the ends of the bar B and the standards,substantially as described.

4. In combination with the apparatus A, tires S, made of yieldingmaterial, arranged on wheels and casters, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

S. A. DARRAGH.

Witnesses:

. E. F. KAsTENHUBER, J. VAN SANTVOORD.

